


I Met True Love With Death On Her Lips

by pandorabox82



Category: Holby City
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/F, M/M, Soulmate-Identifying Marks, Soulmates
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-12
Updated: 2018-04-14
Packaged: 2019-03-17 03:24:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,756
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13650426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandorabox82/pseuds/pandorabox82
Summary: In a world where Soul Mate marks appear as the last words a soulmate will ever say to you, Serena finds herself trying to avoid ever hearing them fall from Bernie's lips. But will she be able to thwart fate?





	1. Chapter 1

"Engine been growling or whining?"

Serena looked up to see a lanky blonde woman approaching her, cigarette dangling lazily at the corner of her mouth. She tried to find the words to reply, but it seemed like all rational thought had fled her mind as the woman stopped next to her. "Funny, you don't look like a mechanic," she quipped, kicking herself for the inane reply to her query.

"You sort of pick up a few things over the years. Though you are right, I'm not a mechanic. I'm the new surgeon here at Holby."

"Ah, then you must be Berenice Wolfe! It is so nice to finally put a face with the name," Serena said as she held out her hand expectantly. The moment their skin touched, Serena felt a frisson of electricity run down her spine, and a warm, almost burning, sensation spread across her lower torso, right above her hip. She gazed at Berenice's face to see if she had felt the same sensation, but there was no clear indication that she had, and Serena schooled her features so as to not draw more attention to herself.

"Please, call me Bernie."

"All right, Bernie." As she watched, Bernie took a look under her hood. "So, do you have any idea what's wrong?"

"It looks like your alternator might be cactus, you'll need to get it into a shop to know more. I mean, there are a few things that you could try to get her running again, but…"

"You don't have time to help me further. I understand, I'm trying to get to my daughter's play, actually, so I know about being pressed for time. But it was so good to meet you!"

They shared a smile before Bernie turned and made her way into the hospital. Serena couldn't help but watch her go, taking in the slight limp she had, and the assured way she walked. There was something intensely magnetic about the woman, and Serena wondered what it was that drew her attention. Rubbing her hip absently, she turned her attention back to her vehicle, her thoughts turning back to the notion of fixing things for herself. After all, she was good with her hands, otherwise she wouldn't be a surgeon.

Thirty minutes later, Serena was admitting defeat and stumbling back inside the hospital and making her way up to her office. There were black oil smudges all over her face and hands, and as she collapsed into her chair, she hesitated before picking up her phone, not wanting to get another thing dirty. Still she was tired, and so she carefully folded her arms and rested her head on them for a few moments, trying to will away some of the frustration she was feeling.

Finally, she knew that she had to wash up, and Serena stood, making her way over to the bathroom. It didn't take too much scrubbing to get the oil off her hands, and then she was delicately washing her face, not wanting to make her skin too red and irritated. It was only when she was clean once more that she thought about the strange burning sensation from earlier, and Serena tugged her blouse out of her pants, lifting it up as she tried to see what had caused the feeling.

A soft gasp slipped from her lips as she took in a patch of red skin. Running her fingers along it, she could feel that it was raised a little, an evident pattern there, one that she couldn't quite make out. Standing on her tiptoes, she tried to get a better look at it in the mirror, but it was to no avail, it would have to wait until she got home. Lowering her shirt, she smoothed her shirt back down across her torso and then shoved her hand through her hair, trying to give it some semblance of order.

Not really looking where she was going, she managed to run into Fletch, and she gave him a sheepish smile as he steadied her. "Whoa there, Ms Campbell."

"Sorry, Fletch. I guess I should pay a little more attention. I was just distracted by…" She gestured to her hip before shrugging a little. "I don't remember scraping my hip against anything, but there's a definite patch of irritation there."

"Do you want me to take a look?"

"Would you?"

He nodded and led her over to the private exam room. Taking a seat on the bed, Serena lifted the hem of her blouse once more, letting Fletch probe it with gentle fingers. As she watched, a knowing smile curved his lips upwards as he pulled his hand back and stripped off the gloves. "I always knew that Edward wasn't your soulmate."

"Excuse me?"

"That patch on your torso. It's your soulmate's words to you. I take it you met someone new today?"

Serena swallowed thickly as she shrugged, wanting to put a buffer between Fletch and herself in that moment. "Do you have your words?" He nodded. "Where are yours?"

"On my left bicep. Do you want to see?"

"Okay."

He gave her another smile before rolling up the sleeve of his scrub top. "See, mine are written in dark green here. Yours will develop colour in the next few days, and soon you'll be able to see what they are. Has no one in your life ever had the words before?"

"My mum did, but she didn't like to talk about them, since my father died so young. Do you know who your soulmate is?"

"Yeah, I know who he is. But he's given me no indication that he knows I am his soulmate. And I'm not going to rock that particular boat just yet. I'd rather remain his friend right now."

Serena nodded, her mind spinning a little as to who Fletch could possibly be referring to. He touched the side of his nose, and she knew that she had been caught out, a guilty flush spreading across her face as she looked down at the floor. "I have a curious mind, Fletch, of course I want to know. I'll try to keep my prying ways away from you."

"That's okay, Ms Campbell, I know that it's something people usually like talking about. And I would, but for wanting to keep things quiet for the time being. Just like you don't want to reveal to me who your soulmate is. Let me guess, he doesn't measure up to your standards?" He had an obvious teasing tone in his voice, and so she felt comfortable enough to shake her head. "Then what?"

"They just weren't what I expected. But if I do wrap my mind around this, if I become accustomed to this situation, you will be the first person I tell." He nodded a little as she slipped off the exam table and smoothed her blouse over her torso. "Now, I have a mechanic to contact, and a cab to book. I'll see you tomorrow?"

"Sounds like a plan."

They nodded to each other, and Serena slipped past him to head over to her office. This was a fine kettle of fish that she now found herself in, as she thought back to her meeting with Bernie. Though it hadn't been for very long, it had been enough for her to meet her soulmate and to receive the words that would be the last she ever spoke to her.


	2. Chapter 2

"Look out! Why would you have that tattooed on your torso, Ms Campbell?"

Whirling around, she saw Jasmine Burrows standing in the doorway, giving her a weird look. Feeling self-conscious, she tugged the scrub top down lower, hoping that her words were no longer visible. "Don't you know anything about the soulmate words?" The young woman shook her head. "Ah. Well. These are the last words I will ever say to the person I am fated to be with."

"You believe that romantic stuff? Really, there's no such thing as true love and soulmates. It's just a fantasy that people buy into, to make them think there's something or someone pulling the strings. Life is too capricious for that to be true."

Serena sighed a little as she shrugged. "I didn't believe in it, truly, until these words appeared a few months ago. Not that I've done anything to act on these words, or rather, the person who caused them to come into focus. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a surgery to get to." She gave Jasmine a quick smile before slipping past her and heading down to theatre.

The routine surgery didn't take long, and then she was changing back into her clothes and heading back to her office. She wasn't there long before Raf came bursting in, a panicked, anxious, look on his face. "Serena!"

"What's wrong?" she asked as she dropped the file she had been looking at onto her desk.

"Fletch was stabbed. I need you, I need you to…"

"Of course, let me just get changed once more." She passed by him, giving his shoulder a soft pat before racing down to the locker room and tugging on a fresh set of scrubs. Only taking time to hang her necklace up in her locker, she scurried into the hallway and frantically looked for Raf, or Morven, or anyone who knew what was going on. Finally, she spotted them wheeling a gurney with Fletch's too still form on top of it, Raf by his side, looking positively distraught. Serena's hand ghosted to the words on her hip, wondering if Raf was the one who Fletch had been speaking about so many months ago. Shaking her head a little, she focused on Fletch, taking stock of what they would need to do.

As they guided him to the operating theatre in AAU, she spotted Bernie getting up from the nurse's station and approach them. "I just heard. Do you…"

"Yes, scrub in, please."

Their eyes met, and Serena gave her a tiny smile as she nodded, and together they went into the theatre, quickly cleaning their hands before allowing the scrub nurse to help them into gowns and gloves. It was amazing how seamlessly they moved, as if they were one body. Which, she supposed, they could be considered, given that they were soulmates. Only Bernie didn't know that about her just yet. Despite their deepening friendship, Serena hadn't wanted to rock the boat between them, especially since Bernie thought she was thoroughly heterosexual. And now was certainly not the time to go saying to her that she fancied something more than friendship, oh, and, by the by, we're soulmates.

Finally, finally, they managed to staunch the bleeding and stabilize Fletch, allowing Raf to take him up to ICU whilst they sank to the ground, using the wall of theatre to hold up their exhausted bodies. Serena looked at Bernie, taking in everything about her, seeing how emotional she was. "Bernie? What's wrong?" she asked as she reached out, touching the woman's shoulder softly.

Those lovely brown eyes met hers, and Serena felt her heart clench at the pain evident in Bernie's gaze. "Our friend and colleague is fighting for his life, all because I didn't take seriously his concerns about the man who stabbed him. He could die and orphan his children, and it would be all my fault."

"He won't die, it's not his time."

"How can you say that with such certainty?"

"Well, he didn't say his soulmate words yet, so it's not the end. And you, my dear, are a brave, bold, fearless, wonderful, surgeon, who wouldn't be caught off guard by something like this. You did a marvelous job today."

A part of Serena's heart ached to say these things to Bernie, to not be able to fully speak what was on her heart, and then, all rational thought fled her mind as Bernie closed the small gap between them, capturing her lips in a passionate kiss. It was everything she had been daydreaming of, since she had received her words and understood their meaning, but still, she pulled back a little to look at Bernie once more, desire making her gaze hazy. It was clear that Bernie wanted to kiss just as much as she did, so Serena leaned in once more and kissed her again, cupping Bernie's elbow and tugging her closer, ever closer, trying to disappear into Bernie.

A sudden sound outside the theatre finally caught their attention, and they sprang apart quickly. A bright blush stained Bernie's cheeks as she scrambled to her feet, helping Serena up. And though she desperately wanted to keep hold of Bernie's hand, to continue having a connection to the present, it was not to be, as Bernie slowly retracted her hand, shoving both into her pockets as she stared at Serena. "I, I need to go. I'm sorry."

Dumbly, she nodded, watching as Bernie left her. There was so much that she wanted to say, but she didn't know how to. Especially now that she knew how sweet Bernie's lips were. Once more, she touched the words above her hip, wondering if Bernie had made the connection between their chemistry and the words that were written somewhere on her body.

Releasing the breath she hadn't realized she was holding, Serena nodded to the people who were coming in to clean up the theatre. Stumbling out into the hallway, she slowly made her way down to the locker room, changing into her clothes once more. A part of her was still in a haze, replaying the way Bernie's lips felt against hers, the way that Bernie's hands had felt spreading out on her back. Every sensation had felt so right and perfect, and her heart longed to shout to the world that Bernie was meant to be hers until the end of time.

Somehow, Serena made it back to the office and heavily took a seat, staring at the file she had previously wanted to work on. She knew there were words on the pages, but she couldn't quite seem to make out what they were saying. A part of her knew that the adrenaline rush from working so hard to save Fletch combined with that delicious kiss were going to throw her off kilter, but she also knew that she had to remain professional throughout the rest of her shift. The others looked to her to lead AAU, to keep the ship afloat and moving like a well-oiled machine, and she vowed to do that for her team, they deserved that, at least.

Shaking her head a little, she let out a long breath and stood up, heading over to the Keurig machine to brew herself a cup of coffee in order to help settle the restless feeling in her heart. Whilst it was being made, she went back to her desk and picked up the file once more, still wondering how she would face Bernie tomorrow.


	3. Chapter 3

Serena had tried to come to work a little later than normal, hoping she could avoid running into Bernie before she was properly ready to do so. That was not to be, since Bernie managed to squeeze onto the lift just as the doors were closing, and Serena let out a long breath as she stared at the ceiling, trying to think of something to say. "I've never kissed a woman before," she blurted out, wincing at her forwardness. She had wanted to make up a lie, to say that she had been at a party in Stepney once, and made out with some hot young thing, but as always happened when she was a little flustered, truth just poured from her lips.

"I could tell."

"Really?" she asked, feeling offended at the insinuation that she was inexperienced.

"Don't think that's a bad thing. Besides, it was a one-time thing, we were just letting off steam from a tense surgery, and things got out of hand. I won't deny that we have chemistry, that much is clear, but perhaps we should keep that to a more professional level and confine it to theatre?"

That was not how Serena was expecting their conversation to go, and she nodded hesitantly, not really wanting to agree, but willing to do whatever it took to keep Bernie in her life. Absently, her hand touched the words above her hip, and she tracked the way Bernie's eyes followed the movement, her own hand fluttering against her ribs. "I suppose. Do, do you have a tattoo on your side? I know that that's a thing in the army. Do you think I could take a look?"

The hand that she was watching clamped down hard on Bernie's side, and she shook her head a little. "It was something that I got on a whim, really. I don't let anyone look at it. Sorry."

Serena shrugged a little as she stared at the numbers creeping up towards their floor. "All right, well, if you need anything, just let me know."

Bernie nodded a little as the elevator doors opened, and together they stepped out of the lift, branching off to go their separate ways as they started their shift. It wasn't until Serena took a seat behind her desk that she realized Bernie had very obviously styled her hair that morning, the usual bird's nest of curls smoothed into some semblance of control, and a gleeful smile spread across her lips at the thought that perhaps the woman had purposely done that for her.

Sighing a little, she rested her cheek in her hand as she booted up her computer and scrolled through her emails, responding to some, leaving others for later. Still, she felt nervous energy thrumming through her body, and so she popped to her feet and headed for the door, running into Bernie as she stepped out. "Sorry," she murmured as she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, giving Bernie a soft smile. The gesture was mirrored, which caused Serena's smile to grow.

"No, I'm glad I caught you. I need a consultation on something." Bernie held out a tablet for Serena to look over, and she tried to focus on what Bernie was saying, not on the way her fingers skimmed over the screen, of how those same fingers might feel trailing across her skin, how they might feel touching her breasts, her arse, her… "Serena!"

"Oh, yes, I agree. You're totally thinking in the right direction." She flashed Bernie a too bright smile, and the woman nodded, giving her a knowing look before nodding and turning on her heel. It almost seemed to Serena that there was an extra swing in her hips as she walked away, and she let her head thump heavily back against the door frame, wincing slightly at the sting that caused.

Squaring her shoulders, Serena decided that the only thing to do was talk to Fletch, even if he was in a coma and couldn't respond to her. He had been the first one to find out about her words, after all, and it was only right she talk this out with him. Moving over to the stairwell, she hurriedly climbed up to the ICU, feeling slightly out of breath as she came to a stop on the right floor. It didn't take long to find where Fletch was recuperating, and she took a deep breath as she stopped in front of his bed and taking a good, long, look at his still form.

"I think I know who has your words now, Fletch, and I think that he has the same fears as you, of rocking the boat and ruining a good thing. I recognize the look, since it's the same one that I have. And I think my soulmate might know she's mine, but is shying away from acknowledging that. What a fine kettle of fish this is, eh?"

Reaching out, Serena patted his foot, trying to keep from tearing up. It was so frustrating to be in this position, to be avoided by the woman who had become her best friend over the last few weeks, and she wondered how they would ever move past that point. Even if Bernie never wanted to have a relationship with her, Serena still wanted to be around her best friend. And it seemed like that wouldn't be the case ever again. The genie was released from the bottle, and she couldn't seem to find a way to him back.

Fletch winced in pain, and she wondered if his pain relief was adequate. Looking at his chart, she noticed that it was entirely within the right limits, and that she couldn't really make adjustments to it, even if she wanted to. Letting out a deep breath, she gave him a soft smile before getting ready to leave the room. "We deserve to be happy with our soulmates, Fletch, and when you're better, you're going after Raf with everything you have."

Knowing that she had to get back to work, Serena took a deep breath and slowly made her way back down to AAU, continuing to think about her dilemma. In her heart, she knew exactly what she wanted, but also knew that she couldn't push Bernie into something too quickly. From the little she knew about the woman's personal life, her last two relationships had ended in disaster, and if this was going to last, like it was supposed to, she wanted a good foundation.

As she went to turn into their office, her mind still distracted with thoughts of Bernie, she bumped into the soft form of another body. Looking up, she first took in the bemused expression on Bernie's face and shrugged a little as a soft blush spread across her face. "Careful there, Campbell. One might think that you're hitting on me deliberately."

She giggled lightly as they headed inside. "Maybe I am, Bernie. Would it really be that bad?"

"I thought we were keeping this confined to theatre?" she asked as they sat behind their desks, and Serena hurriedly tried to mask the hurt she knew was evident on her face.

"I flirt with everyone and everything. Don't think yourself so special," Serena shot back, regretting the words the instant they left her lips. Still, there was no calling them back, and she could only hope that this wouldn't set back their relationship too much, and that maybe, just maybe, this was the first step to something greater.


End file.
